Certain computing devices permit the user to perform a “factory” reset in which current data and settings of the device are erased and the device is restored to its original state when it reached the user (i.e., the factory default state). Such a feature can be useful in cases in which a user has made various changes to the device configuration and wishes to undo those changes, for instance, if the user no longer desires a new configuration he or she implemented and/or the device does not operate well under its current configuration.
When a factory reset is performed, the operating system registry may be deleted and rebuilt anew to restore its original state. Although such deletion and rebuilding is not per se undesirable, it can create problems in cases in which the user has installed applications on the device that did not form part of the initial device state. Specifically, even though the factory reset may not delete the applications that the user has installed, the reset may delete all registry entries associated with those applications, thereby orphaning those applications such that they are not recognized by the operating system and are not accessible to the user. In such a case, the user must reinstall the applications if he or she wishes to use them on the computing device.